Ace Shippers
by ScyllaX
Summary: Who knew a spirit medium and a magician could get along so well? It's a good thing, right? Well, not for a certain spiky-haired attorney and his employees... Spoilers for SoJ. Updates Sundays.
1. The Beginning

Hello everyone! I read this amazing fanfiction called "It's Been So Long" by Yanmegaman and thepudz. It revolves around Apollo's return to the Wright Anything Agency after being in Khura'in for 2 years. It was great (probably because if it's Justicykes. I love it), but these two amazing authors got the idea to make Trucy and Pearl the "Ace Shippers," which is so accurate. Thus, the idea for this fic came to me.

This is my first fanfiction, so feel free to review it. I want to produce some content for this site because I just thought it was amazing how all these good authors joined forces to make this community. Also I finished SoJ a few weeks ago and I am going into depression with no more PW games (I can't seem to figure out how to get the fan translation for AAI2). Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

September 9th, 6:34 PM

Fey Manor

Dining Hall

The 7-year-old girl quietly ate her dinner, alone in the massive dining hall of Fey Manor. Her mother, Morgan Fey, had been sleeping for the last hour, leaving the girl to produce her own food. Normally, her cousin would eat with her, but she was attending a "tri-ahl". The girl had no idea what it meant, but she wasn't home yet, and that was lowering the spirit medium's spirit (ironic, isn't it?). She picked at her food. How much longer would she have to wait?

Suddenly, the door came busting open. The child ran to the front hall and was greeted with the sight of her cousin, Maya.

"Pearl!" she exclaimed. Maya sprinted toward her and picked her up in her arms. "Sorry I'm late for dinner."

"That's okay, Mystic Maya. I'm just glad you're back!" Pearl happily stated. Maya carried her back to the dining hall, setting her down in a chair and then sitting opposite from her. "What did you do today, Mystic Maya?" Pearl inquired, now regaining her appetite. "I got acquitted in the trial today, by Nick…" Maya's speech drifted off. Pearl didn't even need to say that she didn't understand a word she said-instead, she just gave her a look that clearly said, " _Can you speak in English?_ " Maya received the message and translated it for the younger girl. "Basically, people thought I killed Sis, but her student proved them wrong." The older cousin started to get teary-eyed. "Oh, Sis…"

Desperate to keep Maya from crying, Pearl continued the conversation. "Her… student? Who's he?" she asked.

Instantly, Maya's stature straightened, and she wiped her eyes. "His name is Nick. He has spiky hair and he wears a blue suit. And… well, he saved me!" Meanwhile, Pearl's mind was pondering these statements. _A man, who saved Maya, and she has a nickname for him?_ It all led her to one final conclusion.

"Mystic Maya, is he your special someone?"

* * *

*10 Years Later*

June 23rd, 9:12 AM

Wright Anything Agency

Living Room

"Trucy, wait!" shouted Apollo, sprinting after the magician.

There were only so many places to hide in the Wright Anything Agency, and it certainly wasn't big enough to run around in without getting caught. Taking these facts into account, Trucy resigned, coming to a halt in the living room (A.K.A. magic prop storage).

"Now give it back!" commanded the attorney. It had been a rough morning, and he needed it so bad.

Looking around, the magician thought of an idea. "Sure. But first… let me make your coffee disappear!" Trucy took the mug and lifted it to her mouth. Immediately, she spit it out and started coughing.

"You drink your coffee _black_? That's disgusting, Polly!"

Apollo smirked. "It's an… acquired taste. I see you aren't really into it," he teased. "And you can clean up the rug, too. I don't need your saliva on the rug, and neither does Mr. Wright."

Trucy had no escape. The red-clad attorney grabbed the coffee, took a sip, and waited expectantly for her to get some paper towels.

Defeated, the illusionist started to walk to her father's desk, which had 3 paper towel rolls in it (He was "just preparing for his agency's shenanigans").

* _click_ *

The lock on the front door slid back and the door opened, revealing Phoenix, Athena, and a small girl who was wearing a lavender robe, and had the strangest hairstyle.

"We're back!" called out the spiky-haired legend. Getting no response from Apollo and Trucy, he explained the girl's presence. "This is Pearl Fey. She's the, uh, cousin of my former assistant." _That sounded a lot less stupid in my head,_ he thought.

Trucy, being the energetic, friendly, girl that she was, offered her hand to the girl.

"My name is Trucy Wright, Ace Magician!"

"Oh! Uhm… my name is Pearl Fey, Ace Spirit Medium."

* * *

And so, a new friendship blossomed in the Wright Anything Agency. In time, they would bond together, and become best friends. But they had no idea of the shenanigans to come.

So there you have it! The first chapter of my first fanfiction! Of course, this was a super small chapter, but I felt I should give a bit of backstory first. I promise to update this before next weekend, because this chapter was so small. The Ace Shippers will start to sail the seas very soon!

~ScyllaX

(P.S. The meeting of Trucy and Pearl takes place after the Shipshape Aquarium case. Phoenix, Athena, and Pearl all had to stay at a hotel because they were at the Detention Center for too long (acquitting an orca takes a lot of paperwork!).


	2. Two New Clients

August 17, 2:34 PM

Wright Anything Agency

Trucy's Room

* _gasp_ *

"Wow, how did you do that?"

"Magic, of course!"

The two teenagers sat opposite from one another on Trucy's bed. With Apollo's unfortunate leave from the agency, a lot more space was available. Because Phoenix owned it, he decided to move in instead of paying for his apartment's rent. There were two rooms available-Mia, the agency's previous owner, had bought the place as a living space, but converted it into a law office.

Maya and Pearl had come over for a visit, which happened a lot, considering that Fey Manor was only 30 minutes away.

After 10 minutes of magic or so, Trucy had exhausted all her magic tricks. "Well, what's something else we can do?" Pearl questioned.

"Hmm… Oh! I know! We can prank call all of Daddy's friends!" Trucy said, beaming.

"Are you sure? It might not work…"

Pearl had never been one to do things without an adult's consent. She had been raised as a very polite child, and even though she was 18, it still felt wrong.

"It'll be fun! Trust me."

"Alright…"

The two opened the door and began to walk down the hall to the entrance, where Phoenix's phone lay on his desk. Pearl started to creep toward it, but Trucy stopped her. "Watch this," she instructed.

* _BANG*_

The pebble struck the hard tile, grabbing Phoenix's attention. He got up from his desk to investigate. Quickly, Pearl ran and grabbed the phone. Giggling, the girls ran back into the hall and into the bedroom. Distant voices could be heard, like "Maya, did you throw a rock to scare me?" and "Whaaat? Of course not. It's probably the gods telling you to stop doing paperwork and watch Magnesium Samurai with me."

"Who to call?' Trucy said, attempting to get Pearl's opinion.

"How about…. Detective Gumshoe?"

"Why not? How should we prank him, though?"

Pearl already had an idea in mind. "With embarrassment," the girl replied. Just a few weeks ago, Luke Triton had asked her out, and he was almost unbelievably embarrassed, stuttering and tripping over his words. He couldn't retain his gentleman figure, and it would have been amusing, if Pearl hadn't been nervous herself. "Is there any girl on Mr. Nick's contact list that we can use for it?"

Trucy realized how Pearl planned to embarrass the detective. "Yeah! Maggey Byrde! Oh man, this is perfect!" the magician squealed. "We can do a 3-way call. I saw it in _Mean Girls_!" Once again, the spirit medium in training was having some doubts. _We're doing something that was in a movie called_ _ **Mean Girls**_ _? That doesn't sound like something Master Maya would approve of… Oh, Pearl, you're 18 now! Get a grip! I can't back down now…_ Pearl swallowed, a feeling of hesitation inside her.

"Ok, I guess so."

"Great! Let's do it!" The conjurer typed in Gumshoe's number, and waited.

' _Hello?'_

"Uh, hello. It's Da-I mean, Phoenix." Pearl could barely stifle her giggles. Trucy had lowered her voice to sound like her father. It wasn't very convincing in the room, but considering that Gumshoe could barely afford instant noodles, his phone speakers probably were low quality.

' _Oh, hello, Mr. Wright. What can I do for you?'_

"I just wanted to talk with you, that's all."

' _You want to talk with me? About work?'_

"No, no, no… not work. Just life."

There was a silence on the other end. _'Hey, pal, is something going on? You never call me unless you want me to give you information about the prosecution's tactics.'_

Trucy shot Pearl a fearful look. They were treading on thin ice, that was for sure. "Get to the point!" Pearl whispered.

"Well, I just wanted to see what you are doing with Maggey. Are you together now, or-"

' _No, not yet. I was going to, after the Tres Bien case, but I couldn't build up the courage.'_

Trucy flashed Pearl a big smile. "Information!" she whispered. "Yeah, the Tres Bien case really set you guys up. How come you never got together?" Of course, Trucy had no idea what the Tres Bien case was, so she bluffed in hoped of dragging out the conversation. "Quick! Dial Maggey's number for his response!" Pearl advised. Trucy tapped her father's phone 7 times and Maggey was in the conversation.

' _I don't know, pal. I always liked Maggey, but I always had a fear of commitment, but I wish I did now because she hasn't talked to me in a while. I hope she does soon. Maybe then I'll say something… those dark brown eyes…_

Trucy checked the conversation. Maggey picked up! Pearl, who was squishing herself next to Trucy to see what was going on, also noticed. Both girls nearly squealed in delight and listened to Gumshoe fantasize about Maggey, knowing the latter was hearing every word.

' _Uh… is that you, sir? Dick Gumshoe?'_

Silence on the other end.

' _M-Maggey? Uhhh, I mean, umm, (crap, crap, crap!) h-how long have you been here for?'_

' _30 seconds.'_

An audible thump could be heard, followed by some shattering glass.

' _Damn it, WRIGHT!'_

' _Sir, don't be embarrassed, I've been waiting for this day!'_

The pair of girls left them to do whatever happens when people confess over the phone. They both were laughing so hard that Phoenix came and knocked on their door to see if they were okay.

"Yeah, we're fine, Dad!" snickered the magician.

"Oh, okay. By the way, have you seen my phone?"

Both magician and spirit medium stiffened. "N-No," spat Trucy, trying to sound calm.

Luckily, Phoenix seemed to accept this answer and walked away. Trucy let out a sigh of relief. "That was close… but we did it! And look, we even got Gumshoe and Maggey together! Pearl pondered this. Gradually, her feeling of rebellion faded away and she felt much better.

"We did, didn't we?" Pearl thought out loud.

Trucy was beaming. "Of course we did, we're the… the… Ace Shippers!"

"It's got a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" Pearl said, clearly much happier than she was at the start of this prank.

"It does. Probably because it's our future!"

* * *

August 30th, 8:04 PM

Wright Anything Agency

Living Room

Maya sat on the couch, looking at Phoenix intently while he attempted to diminish the huge stack of paperwork on his desk. If there was one thing Phoenix hated about being a lawyer, it was the insane amount of paperwork that he had to complete. Once he was almost done, the mailman would drop by, and another couple hours of his time was lost.

"Come ON, Nick! You haven't watched the Samurai series with me in ages!"

 _There's a reason for that,_ thought Phoenix. He really didn't know why he was doing paperwork while Maya was over. It just seemed so natural - back in the old days, he'd sit there while Maya complained about the water pressure in the shower being too weak, or the TV not being big enough, or wanting a burger, or the office being too hot, or the office being too cold, or the fact that he never spent enough time with her, and that his "responsibilities as a member of society" were just another piece of evidence that proved he was an old man. Phoenix had heard it all.

 _But…_ he looked at the mound of paper before him. He clearly was sick of it. And besides, he really hadn't seen the Samurai series in a long time with Maya.

"Alright," he sighed, getting a squeal of excitement from the spirit medium. "But don't expect me to- "

"When will the popcorn be ready, Nick?"

 _I swear, this girl will be the death of me._

* * *

August 30th, 11:04 PM

Wright Anything Agency

Living Room

" _Sayo!" The Magnesium Samurai shouted to the girl in the steel cage. "I'll save you!"_

"A bit cliché, wouldn't you agree, Maya?"

The girl, who had been slumped against the couch after she ate 3 bags of microwave popcorn to fill her stomachs, immediately sat up straight. "No way! The Magnesium Samurai is a hero!"

" _Not so fast, Samurai! Sayo is mine!"_

If this wasn't cliché before, it definitely was now. A battle ensues, and the Samurai defeats the Evil Magistrate, claiming Sayo and moving in for the kiss as a flock of birds flies in front of them, hiding the romance. "Maya, didn't this same scene happen in the Steel Samurai? And the Nickel Samurai? And, oh my god, wasn't this in the Plumed Punisher too?" Phoenix pointed out.

"Nick, really? Look closely. Does that hero look like he's made of steel? No! He's made of magnesium!"

Phoenix just sighed. _At least the movie is going to end soon._

* * *

August 31st, 7:29 AM

Wright Anything Agency

Living Room

"Look at Mr. Nick and Master Maya…. It's _adorable!"_

"Shh… Daddy's a light sleeper. You'll wake him up!"

Phoenix groggily opened his eyes, feeling an immense weight on him. Additionally, there was hair in his eyes and mouth. Immediately he took his hand and swept it away, only to be met with the sight of Maya laying on top of him, resting in the crook of his shoulder. He shifted uncomfortably.

"Uh, Dad? Need some help?"

Phoenix instantly swiveled his head around to see his daughter and her best friend.

"Agh! Uh, yeah, I could use a bit of assistance right now." Phoenix squeezed out. Maya may look like those burgers never add to her weight, but they did, and Phoenix was sure of that.

Trucy and Pearl lifted Maya off of him, allowing him to slip off the couch. It seemed Trucy and Pearl weren't exactly the gentlest movers, however, and Maya's eyes opened, at which point the two girls just set her down on the ground.

"W-What's going on?" Maya mumbled.

With years of bluffing practice, the legendary attorney was quick to respond. "You fell off the couch, and ended up sleeping on the ground," he lied. The village master fell for it, of course, but had to leave soon after that, as the Master had duties to attend to.

Which was great for two friends, who had two new clients on their list that needed some matchmaking.

* * *

I think I'm going to make a final paragraph to respond to reviews. Of course, I uploaded the last chapter this morning, so… I don't know, I was just super motivated. Sorry for copying your system, Pudz! (P.S. I really divided this story up with the horizontal lines, didn't I)

 **Brock's Geodude**

Oops, I'll correct that. I just assumed an adolescent was a younger kid. I was just trying to not use 'Pearl' or 'the spirit medium' over and over. And I'm glad you like it! There's so much I can do with these two shippers, including shipping my OTP's :]

 **thepudz**

You have no idea how great it is to get some good feedback. I'm extremely happy that you like the way I captured their personalities, as it's one of the more difficult parts for me. Also, I was really thinking about how to space my writing. My ELA teacher told me that I should start a new paragraph when someone else is speaking (I know, I was listening in ELA, remind me never to do that again), but when I tried it, I thought it was too spacey. I can understand what you mean though- so I modeled this one after that advice. I'll get used to it! Hearing that such a great author like you likes my work is really motivating! I think that's why I got this one done so quick.


	3. What do YOU want to do?

Before I start this chapter, I'd like to know if you want me to do NaruMayo first, and then some Justicykes (or some other pairings), or should I do them at the same time? Also, I'm going to have to write some fluff sooner or later, so I felt like I should warn you, because I've never done stuff like this before.

Additionally, I'm going to have an update schedule. **This will update every Sunday** , starting on the 12th. I couldn't post this Sunday because of the Super Bowl (Come ON, Falcons!) and because of school. I have a lot of tests coming up and an organized schedule will allow me to produce chapters more efficiently.

I feel much more comfortable writing description and (inner) monologue. I decided to make this chapter from Maya's POV instead of from an omnipotent view. I feel like Maya and Phoenix needed some reasons to be an item instead of just sticking them together like some fanfics do. So, here goes nothing!

* * *

The rope tying my hands together was very expertly tied. Whoever this bellboy was, he was definitely a professional when it came to this stuff.

"Hey, do you happen to have any burgers out there? I'm hungry."

The door opened with a creak.

"That's the point. Do you think I would starve you for 12 hours and then let you eat?"

"But…" I really was hungry. I flashed him my best puppy eyes that always got Nick to buy me a burger.

Unfortunately, he slammed the door closed. Maybe I hadn't tried hard enough.

I didn't want to wait here much longer. Not only was I hungry, but there was virtually nothing else in the room except for some dust and a wine shelf. Drinking my troubles away was an option, but I'd never tried wine before. I had already escaped once, but the bellboy had shoved me back in here. I still had the card I had used to pick the lock. I looked at it.

Why would a kidnapping chamber have a card with a _shell_ , of all things, on it? It was a mystery, all right. What could I do with this card other than anger the bellboy and possibly get shot by the .40 revolver he kept by his side at all times?

I know! I could draw on it! I had a pen in my pocket. I clutched it and brought it up to the card. I had never been an artist, and my wrists were tied, but it was something to do. And then came the other problem – thinking of something to draw. I need something uplifting, something to make this situation better.

My only hope.

* * *

October 13th, 8:13 AM

Fey Manor

Master's Chambers

I sat straight up, struggling to breath.

Why must my brain put me through all these traumatic situations while I sleep? God knows I've seen enough of them.

I stared intently at the stained-glass ceiling of the Master's Chambers, which was basically a bedroom. Being the master was tiring, but it had its rewards. The pay, for example, was excellent. I hadn't needed to steal Nick's wallet for burgers in a long time. Not that I could have any, as the village Elders had said that I needed to "eat vegetables every day." The Elders didn't understand the concept of multiple stomachs.

It didn't make sense why I kept having these dreams over and over again. They were all so… tiring. I got back from years of training in Khura'in, and this is what I get?

Sighing, I grab the brush on my bedside table and begin to untangle my hair. The dreams weren't that bad, because they all had a resolution. Performed by Nick, of course. Why did he always cause the happy ending? Was he really that distressed when these things happen to me (or because he's the main protagonist in all the games I'm in)? So many questions, but no answers. It was so frustrating! I released the brush and slumped back against the pillows.

 _*knock* *knock*_

A teenage spirit medium entered the room, peeking out from the door.

"Master Maya, it's time for your daily caretaking."

A large groan escaped me. "Pearly, please, I don't need that. I'll tell the Elders that you did, ok? Just.. it's fine."

Pearl skeptically chewed her thumb, her eyes wandering around the room. "You don't look fine, Master Maya. What's wrong?" she inquired.

"Pearly, really, it's ok. I-"

"It's ok? I can carry out my job? Thanks, Master Maya!"

 _Oh God._ "No, wait, Pearly, that's not what I-"

But Pearl was already ecstatically running down the hall to her "chamber" to grab brushes and makeup and other random things she needed to pamper me. The Master always got the best treatment in the morning, usually by servants. But Pearly had volunteered to do the job. No matter how much I'd tell her that she doesn't need to, Pearly always insisted. It was cute, in a way. Besides, it did feel good to be made your own coffee and to have your makeup done for you every morning.

The door blew open again. A stack of personal care supplies hid Pearly's face as she carefully staggered into the room. Placing them on the floor, she beamed at me. "Let's get started!"

* * *

"…and then the elephant turned to me and said, 'Happy Birthday!' before jumping into the ball pit, even though it wasn't my birthday. Pretty cool, right?"

Pearl had just finished telling her dream after suggesting the activity to pass the time. "Uh, yeah, that sounds really interesting, Pearly!" I said unenthusiastically.

"So what did you dream of?" Pearl asked, continuing to brush my hair.

"I didn't dream of anything."

"Huh, that's weird. I heard you talking in your sleep."

I froze. "Well, I just do that… sometimes… on random."

"Master Maya, are you sure about that? Any time that I hear you talking in your sleep, you have some crazy story to tell," Pearl pointed out.

 _It's not like she cares. She knows this stuff happened to me, so I guess it wouldn't make sense to keep hiding it from her._ "I dreamt about the time I got kidnapped. You know."

This silenced my cousin. "Oh… sorry."

 _Awkward_. "They aren't that bad, though. I already know how they end," I reassured, half-smiling at her.

Pearl gushed at this. "Mr. Nick is quite the knight in shining armor, isn't he, Master Maya? You're so lucky to have such a good-"

"Friend, and yes, he is," I cut her off, knowing what was to come. No matter how much I'd deny it, Pearl would never ditch the belief that we're romantically involved. I didn't want to deal with this, not again. Our relationship seemed to be a popular topic when Pearl was pampering me.

Pearl gave me a knowing look. "A _friend_ , right…"

"Pearly, could you please just understand that me and Nick aren't dating?"

"No, I can't, because you guys are a match made in heaven!"

This was going nowhere fast. "Look, Pearly, we aren't together and Nick doesn't plan to."

Pearly picked up on my selection of words. " _He_ doesn't? What about _you_ , Master Maya? What do _you_ want to do?"

I was getting angry. I was so tired of all this… thinking. "Pearl, please, just let it go."

The girl was ready to respond when an Elder knocked on the door, telling me to get to work in his gravelly voice. The perfect excuse! Work! I stood up from the bed and asked Pearl to leave so I could change. She looked at me suspiciously before leaving. And who could blame her?

I had a lot of work ahead of me, but it wasn't what I was thinking about while I changed.

 _What about_ _ **you**_ _, Master Maya? What do_ _ **you**_ _want to do?_

Those two eerie sentences rang in my ears for the whole day. I spilled my coffee, broke my pen, and I even broke the sacred urn… again. Distracted by those 11 words.

Because frankly, I didn't know the answer to them.

* * *

Once again, sorry for the wait! This one wasn't even that long, but I promise you I'll get into the NaruMayo fluffiness next chapter. Thanks for everyone's support!

 **Brock's Geodude**

Ugh, so close, but so far.. literally. I figured that Mia would pick an office close to Fey Manor, but I guess I forgot that. I hope that there will come a day that you won't find any problems in the chapter and you can have a nice reading experience without finding a contradiction and objecting to it. It is pretty fun though, so I can understand.

 **Yanmegaman**

I'm really glad that you like this fic! Especially since it's my first one, it really helps when people give me reviews like this because tbh I have no idea what I'm doing xD. I do think it's extremely strange how Trucy and Pearl haven't shipped Phaya together yet in the main series. But that's what fanfictions are for, right? The Magshoe scene was also one of my better works with the NaruMayo being super, _super_ subtle but it helps prepare for this chapter. I'm glad you wrote that, otherwise I probably wouldn't write anything and I'd just read. It was an epic collab, especially after just finishing SoJ and being depressed. Thanks for reviewing!

 **Sdarkynecro**

I know, right? I hate how people think that Trucy is innocent like Pearl. I think she has a devious side, which is fantastic for the fic, as Pearl is literally the most innocent creature on the planet.

I'm happy you like where this is going, as it has so much potential! I just hope I don't blow it. :P

 **ThePudz**

I know, I had a feeling you'd like the Magshoe side of the story. Even if the Narumayo was subtle, hopefully you liked this chapter, which had a lot more that the last. I'm tremendously happy that you think my writing resembles the characters. It's difficult because every single character in the AA series is interesting so that the gameplay isn't boring. And sometimes, interesting becomes… crazy (Ben Woodman/Trilo Quist).

I had no idea the review response system had such a deep history! I feel… honored!


	4. The Massive Post-It note

I'm going to write this chapter from an omnipotent view again. I was wondering it's too confusing to read these chapters when I keep changing my writing style. I can't decide. On one hand, I can get a lot more description and suspense with omnipotent, but on the other hand, I feel much more comfortable writing 1st person. This decision made me put off this chapter until Friday :3 (sorry if it feels rushed, guys) and I just binge read all of ThePudz's older stories. I swear I'll write some fluff sooner or later, I just suck at it. Anyway, enjoy the show! Er, I mean book.

* * *

October 15th, 3:14 PM

Wright Anything Agency

Trucy's Room

"I think I may have pushed Master Maya over the edge a few days ago. I asked her about Mr. Nick but she got mad. I don't know why she won't admit it!"

Trucy sat on her bed, deep in thought. "We don't have any proof. We need a plan of action if we want to get them together." At this, Trucy jumped up, clearly happy with her own idea. She suggested, "We'll write one down. I have a giant post-it note thingy in here somewhere…" Rummaging through her closet, she pulled out a pink post-it note holder. Only, the post-it notes were 2 feet tall and 2 feet wide. She ripped one off and stuck on the wall, producing a sharpie out of thin air. "What should we put first?"

"Well, if Master Maya and Mr. Nick know we're trying to get them together, the whole operation will be spoiled! So I say we find a good way to hide our plans before we do anything else."

"Good idea! It'll be tough, but it is a must." Trucy wrote on the post-it. "Any other ideas?"

"Uhm… no. I'm out."

Trucy thought for a second. "We'll need some encouragement, too. I love Daddy, but I don't think he has the balls to make the first move. But other than that, I don't have any other plans." Trucy wrote her idea on the paper.

"So.." Pearl didn't know what to do now.

"I have no idea how to set these things up. We need someone to help us." Trucy determined.

Pearl seemed to agree with this. "Who would help us without spoiling it, though?"

Trucy hit call for the 3rd time, making the phone ring. It picked up.

' _Justice and Co Law Offices. How may I help you?'_

"We'd like a burger and some fries, please."

Apollo could identify the voice through the phone. ' _Trucy! Why are you calling me in the middle of work hours?'_

"Uh, we need your help matchmaking."

'…'

"Listen, Polly, I didn't call you for you to give me the silent treatment. Trust me on this one, okay?" No matter how much Trucy would tease and anger her brother, she always relied on him for help. And Apollo was aware of this, which is why he spoke his next statement.

' _And I can help you with this… how?'_

"Well, me and Pearl are writing down some plans, and we're stuck. I just assumed you'd know about love. I figured that some woman would find your horns attractive."

' _Trucy, could you just lay off the damn hairstyle for one phone call? You don't know what it feels like to have to wake up at 4 in the morning to get the hair perfectly.'_

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, can you help us?"

' _Well, while it sounds interesting, like I said, it's work hours.'_

"Can't you get Datz to man the front desk? Take a lunch break or something."

' _Trucy, it's 3:30. But I think Datz could take over for 20 minutes or so.'_

"Great! Let's get down to business!"

A distant yell for an ex-paratrooper could be heard. After 30 seconds or so, the shuffling coming from the other side of the line stopped as Apollo spoke again.

' _So, these plans… what are they?'_

Trucy's blue eyes darted to the large sticky note. "Just that we have to remain anonymous and that my dad has to have some encouragement."

' _ **OBJECTION!**_ _Your last idea was completely irrelevant to this case! If your client is really in love with your other client, you shouldn't need any encouragement!'_

"You have a point. I'll cross it out," Trucy said as she scribbled on the idea.

' _One more question before I help you. Who are you trying to get together?'_

Trucy hit mute on the phone for a discussion with Pearl, who was sitting helplessly next to the magician. "Should we tell him?" Trucy asked.

Pearl nipped at her thumb's fingernail. "I don't think so. We need to stay undercover."

"Gotcha." Trucy unmuted the phone and used Pearl's advice. "That is private information, Apollo. You'll find out when they get together."

A noise was coming from the phone. It sounded like someone was crying. Trucy stuck her ear up against the phone. That noise wasn't crying! It was.. _laughter_!

' _ **HOLD IT!**_ _I believe… *wheeze* …that I know who it is.'_

There was no way he could know. "Oh really, Polly? Show us your great detective skills!"

' _Ms. Wright, I don't need my great detective skills for this one._ _ **TAKE THAT!'**_ The lawyer's loud voice echoed. _'You stated that your_ dad has to have some encouragement _! That's evidence that Mr. Wright is your client. Additionally, you stated that Pearl was helping you! Who else could it be, Ms. Wright? You're trying to matchmake Mr. Wright and Maya, aren't you?!'_

"Wh-Wh-WHAAAAAAAAT? Damn, you're good, Polly. I can see why Khura'in is rebuilding its legal system off you."

' _All in a day. Now, since I completely destroyed your argument-'_

"Polly, you can drop the trial thing now."

' _Oh, okay. Anyway, I think you should stop trying to orchestrate this whole love scene. The truth is… I think that Mr. Wright and Maya can work things out on their own. Mr. Wright really does care for Maya, you know.'_

"Of course we knew that, Mr. Polly!" Pearl got involved in the conversation.

After a brief cringe from Apollo after Pearl's nickname for him, he continued to give advice. _'Don't make something too obvious, like a dinner by candlelight. Make it much more subtle-something that could happen naturally. And make sure that you don't force them together. Help a bit, but like I said earlier, Mr. Wright's got this.'_

"Okay, Polly! If we take your advice and don't make a love scene… I guess there isn't much more to put down."

' _Good, because I don't trust Datz to sit at my desk. I'll get back to work. I hope I helped.'_

"Of course, Polly! Have a good time working! Bye!"

' _See you later… literally.'_

Apollo's words registered in her brain. "Wait.. what?"

But the line was already dead. With that, Pearl looked at Trucy. "We'll find out what he means sooner or later."

"I guess you're right, Pearl. For now, at least we have all these notes." Trucy gestured to the post-it.

That concluded their note-taking session, as Maya called Pearl downstairs to leave. The information was useful. But Trucy's thoughts were elsewhere.

' _See you later…_

 _ **literally."**_

* * *

This chapter was quite short. Again, I planned to write more, but I promised I'd upload on Sunday. Anyway, onto the reviews!

 **Brock's Geodude** **:  
** Thanks, and of course not! They make my stories better! I want to make my chapters the best they can be, and you helped me do that!

 **Sdarkynecro** **:  
** Aw, man! I was hoping you would like NaruMayo, it's one of my OTP's. Not to worry, Justicykes will happen next chapter! And while I can understand that it would be maddening if a character was shipping a NOTP, (like Trucy shipping Cykesquill-ugh) even you have to admit that Pearl is adorable. I'm glad you like this, and wait until next Sunday! It will be a good chapter, I promise!


	5. Promises

Before I start this, I would like to say that I feel terrible about last chapter. It wasn't well done at all, and I may redo it at some point, but this should make up for it. It might be a bit confusing during the trial, but I introduced two OC's for the story to be more interesting. And I guarantee you, it will. Additionally, I'm going to put more Blackquill in this, because he's one of my favorite characters, probably only after Paul Atishon-Wimperson.

* * *

It was 6:00 PM. Athena still wasn't back.

The Twisted Samurai looked out the window. The entire Wright Anything Agency just picked up their bags and left the country before you could blink. They were all in Khura'in, that country that kept making the news. Personally, Simon thought he could take this Dhurke guy. After suggesting it to Athena, she didn't let him go with the WAA, and so here he was, looking out the window, the rain droplets descending down it.

Simon's pocket vibrated. He pulled his phone out and scrolled up to the latest message.

' _At the airport. I'm coming home.'_

Simon eagerly tapped his phone in response. He sent, ' _What took you so long?'_

No response. The prosecutor waited, but no more messages were exchanged. He jammed his phone back into his pocket and sighed. Simon had saved money to buy a house – but he wasn't there yet, which meant he had to live in a cheap, crappy apartment for the time being. The view was the only good thing about the plain apartment. The samurai was bored, with nothing left to do. "Taka, go get Gavin-dono from his… _mansion_ ," commanded Simon, wrinkling his nose in jealousy at his last word. His bird flew out an open window and went off to get Klavier, the only prosecutor Simon sort of got along with.

* * *

"Are you seriously challenging me? Me, the Twisted Samurai?"

"Ja. Mein parents taught me how to play."

"Let's go, then."

Simon used his remote as Player 1 to click start. As the Wii started the game, two prosecutors entered the most intense game of Wii Tennis ever. At first, both rallied back and forth, but Klavier was gaining the edge. Simon hit it over the virtual net, only to be met with a flaming tennis ball as Klavier hit a lucky shot. It went past Simon's mii, setting the score as 15-0. The monochrome prosecutor shot the rock prosecutor a dirty look. Klavier returned it with a cheeky smile. _You're on, Gavin-dono_ , thought Simon.

Just as Simon served the ball, he spit the feather out of his mouth into Klavier's eyes. The rock icon took a blind swing, somehow hitting the ball back over. "Herr Feathers, you are a dirty player." Simon had to take this to the next level if he wanted to beat Klavier. Simon ran to the corner of his apartment, where his samurai sword lay propped up against the wall. He grabbed it and rushed over to Klavier, who was just about to take the feather off his eyes.

 _*slice*_

The feather divided into two, drifting to the ground.

"AGH!"

Klavier stumbled backwards, all focus off the game. "Herr Feathers, why are you so competitive? That was too close."

"You challenged me, Gavin-dono. There are no rules…" Simon pointed his remote out in front of him before twirling around and then stopping at Klavier's face, "…in the game of WII TENNIS!"

Klavier stared at him. "I think I'm realizing the importance of Wii Tennis."

"Hmph, everyone does sooner or later. In fact, you caught on rather quickly. As a good learner, perhaps you should practice by yourself."

Completely swept away by Simon's power of suggestion, Klavier nodded. "Ja, I should."

Simon's pocket rang. He grasped the phone and held it to his ear. "Hello?"

' _Simon, I'm home.'_

The prosecutor opened the door and walked down a flight of stairs to get to his apartment building's main entrance. There, in the lobby, was Athena, waiting for the samurai.

"Let's go, shall we?" Athena brushed past him instead of greeting him.

"What's wrong, Cykes-don-"

"Nothing's wrong. I'm tired. Let me go to sleep."

So the prosecutor watched as Athena walked into the apartment, retiring to her bedroom. Simon didn't think he would need to go comfort her. After all, she did say she was tired. With his decision, he told Klavier to go home, prying him from his heated practice of tennis. The samurai went to his tiny bedroom (they both had tiny bedrooms-it was a crappy apartment) and drifted off to sleep.

Unbeknownst to him, Widget glowed blue while Athena slept for the first time in months.

* * *

October 18th, 12:32 PM

High Court of Khura'in

Courtroom Lobby No. 2

"Admit it, Mr. Scott! You and my client are the only ones that knew about the escape route… and since I proved that my client couldn't have possibly been in the tunnel, you, and only you, could commit this murder!"

The newbie attorney's voice echoed through the courtoom. The witness on the stand's proud grin faltered for a bit, looking to the prosecution for help. The crowd erupted into discussion, causing the judge to restore order. After his gavel slammed on its podium for the last time, the prosecution smiled at the defense.

"Getting better, Mr. Zergen. But I'm not going to give up yet. This humble servant of the Holy Mother still has an argument to make!"

Apollo leaned over. "Nahyuta complimented you. You must be doing something right," he whispered, clearly surprised at his foster brother's encouragement. "But you went for the throat too soon. This witness still has some fight left in him."

"You see, Mr. Zergen, I would like to point out that your entire argument rests on the fact that your client couldn't have been in the tunnel. But the only evidence you have is a doctor's note stating that your client is claustrophobic. I didn't object because I thought you'd have more evidence, but it seems I must now. If your client wanted to, he could have simply climbed in." Nahyuta commented, still confident.

" _ **OBJECTION!**_ My client could have committed the murder anywhere, but he chose a place he feared? That's ridiculous, Mr. Sahdmadhi!" The defense attorney's voice became much more confident by the end of his sentence as Apollo nodded at him.

" _ **OBJECTION!**_ Mr. Zergen, I would like you to know that yesterday, after you submitted that evidence, I did some investigating of my own. And after speaking with the client's doctor… I came to the realization that _your client's claustrophobia is not severe!_ More importantly, he had been undergoing treatment and because his condition was not severe, he could have easily climbed in the tunnel without invoking his fear!"

"W-W-Wha…?" The newbie attorney stepped back. It took him the whole trial to have some confidence, but it was now taken away from him. His client, Mr. Tres, had come to the Justice and Co. Law Offices for help, and he had specifically requested that the lawyer could defend him in court. He trusted him to do the job, but with his argument destroyed, things looked bad.

The witness on the stand, Mr. Scott, regained his composure and looked at the defense. "Well, that's it. Can I go now? I'm a busy man."

"I-I… guess. There's no point in-," started the attorney.

" _ **OBJECTION!**_ We can't give up now! You're so close! The defense would like to request one more testimony from this man!" Apollo's chords of steel shook up the courtroom.

"Very well. One more testimony coming up," reassured the judge.

"Please testify about what you were doing in the museum at the time of the murder," commanded Apollo, briefly taking over position of defense team leader.

"Fine. But after that, I'm leaving." Mr. Scott began to testify. "At the time of the murder, I was in the security station. Closing hours were going to be soon, and as the kind manager I am, I let my employees go home early. After the museum closed, I went straight home, leaving Mr. Tres as the security guard." As he finished, he looked at the judge. "Your Magistry, may I go now?"

Apollo immediately intervened. "The defense has a right to cross-examine the witness. Especially since this is our big break."

The green attorney took the hint, and looked at the evidence.

The answer hit him like a wall.

" _ **OBJECTION!**_ Mr. Scott, you claim to have left after the museum closed. But it was a known fact that the security card system _malfunctioned after closing hours!_ You shouldn't have been able to open the door!"

"Okay, so I made a mistake. Is that all?"

"No, Mr. Scott. In fact, it's just the beginning. The employee area has no exits that weren't affected by the system's breakdown. Not unless you count…" The attorney slammed his hands on the defense's bench, before pointing his index finger directly at the witness, "the escape tunnel! The only way you could be standing before us right now is if you left through it! And you would have left directly at the time of the murder!" The attorney was relentless. "You panicked when you realized that you couldn't escape. The only way to get out was through the tunnel. And you didn't want to do that because the body of the victim was in there, where you had placed it, along with evidence to be used against my client!"

Mr. Scott's face heated up. "T-There's no evidence of that!"

"But there is. In fact, I found this deep in the mud yesterday. _**TAKE THAT!**_ Do you recognize this security card, Mr. Scott?"

"Wha… that's mine!"

"Yes, it is. And it's conclusive evidence that you were in the tunnel, because there is some blood on it!"

Mr. Scott nervously chuckled. "Ha.. Ha… you… you're just kidding, right? Mr. Sahdmadhi? Right?"

"I'm afraid that the defense has proved your guilt."

"What?" The witness looked around the room. "No… No… No! I'm a good manager! Trust me!"

The judge grabbed his gavel. "I'm sorry, Mr. Scott, but the defense has proved your guilt. I will now pronounce my verdict."

As the gavel slammed on its podium, the witness dropped to his knees, defeated.

 **NOT GUILTY**.

* * *

Apollo and his understudy entered the defendant lobby.

Mr. Tres walked up to his attorney. "You did a great job out there, Dion. I'm proud of you," said the cool-headed security guard.

Apollo nodded. "Your performance today was enough for you to be labeled an Ace Attorney."

"Dion Zergen: Ace Attorney. Hey, that has a nice ring to it!" agreed Dion, his smile lighting up his face. He plopped down on the couch, exhausted. "I've never been in such an intense trial in my life. If it wasn't for you, Boss, I would've never made it."

Apollo half-smiled. "Every lawyer deserves to be introduced into his first trial by a more experienced one. I was lucky to have two."

The door of the defendant lobby blew open, revealing a dark-blue haired attorney, who walked into the lobby. She was another Khura'inese attorney who had stepped up after the DC act was destroyed. She's also one of the most powerful, being extremely skillful in her trade.

"Selene! How did the trial go?" asked Dion, eager to hear how his colleague's performance was.

"I won. Again." She took her sleek hair and threw it over her back. "The prosecution was terrible. It was _Payne_ ," she said, wrinkling her nose in disgust at the last statement. "I'm going back to the office. If you want to talk to me, I'll be there." And with that, she went out of the lobby and to the courthouse parking, impatient as always.

After signing some paperwork, the red-suited attorney suggested that they go out to eat in honor of his employee's first trial.

It would be one of the last meals Apollo ate in Khura'in.

* * *

October 19th, 3:06 PM, 2030

Justice and Co. Law Offices

"Boss, come look at this!"

Dion ran across the office to where his boss was sitting.

"You're on the front cover of _People_ magazine!" yelled the attorney.

Apollo barely looked up. "I bet. Khura'in reporters love to write about me."

"But this is something new! Look! Man, you look really good in these photos!"

Apollo's eyes drifted toward the magazine. He reached out and grabbed it. "Let me see this…" his eyes ran over the page. "Ok, sure, I do look good in the photos. Now get back to work," said Apollo, throwing the magazine to the ground.

"Boss, how come you never get involved in the community? You're going to be lawyering for a long time, since you're only 28, so why not get into the photo shoots and everything? You're famous, you know."

Apollo's body went rigid. "There's a reason for that. I'm glad you asked, because I needed to tell you today. I, uh… I'm moving back to LA tomorrow."

"You _WHAT?_ "

Dion's mouth hung open in an "O".

"Listen, I never planned to stay here as long as I did. I just wanted to raise a few lawyers to help Khura'in's legal system. And I did, with you and Selene. There's no doubt in my mind that you guys can't keep the office going."

Datz, who was standing next to Apollo, nodded. "It's true. AJ is leaving."

"Wha-… How come you never told me about this before? My first trial was yesterday! I don't know how to defend properly!"

"But you do. You did it yesterday. I was waiting for that day, when I saw enough potential in you to leave Khura'in. You are an amazing lawyer, Dion," complimented Apollo.

"W-Why? What reason could you possibly have? You… have everything you could ever need here! Money, fame, friends!"

"I wish that were true…" said Apollo, with a faraway look in his eyes. "But I made some promises a few years ago… and I plan to keep them," determined the lawyer, lightly slamming his hands on the desk. "I believe Khura'in will be fine with you here. I'll come visit, okay?"

Dion's eyes stung. "W-When will you be leaving?"

"Tomorrow. My bags are already packed. I'd appreciate it if you told Selene, okay?"

"Sure…" The lawyer, with his back slumped, walked over to his own desk, immersing himself in his paperwork to prevent himself from breaking. When the day was past, no new clients had turned in, but Dion left early, going to his own house to sleep and ponder what was going to happen to him. Apollo said he had some "promises" to keep, but he never specified what they were. The lawyer came to a decision that he would find out what they were, no matter what.

And he would do it soon.

* * *

This took me quite a while to write, as I had to make sure I introduced the OC's well. Selene was just for another lawyer in the offices, because one lawyer can't do it all if Apollo leaves, so that's why I did that. If anyone else is into Greek mythology, you would get why I named the characters what I did. Capcom does the same thing. Let me treat everyone to a Greek myth, and then you'll understand.

* * *

Zeus, the god of gods, had gotten Metis, a Titaness/Oceanid, pregnant. He did not feel joy or excitement, however. He feared what Metis would bear. It had been prophesied that Metis would have two extremely powerful children – one, a daughter, and two, a son whose power would eventually allow him to overthrow his father and claim position as the god of gods. So, Zeus tricked Metis into turning into a fly, and then swallowed her. But it was too late – as she had already conceived a child, who grew in Zeus. Metis began to hammer a helmet and robe for her daughter, as it was one of the first things a mother did. It caused Zeus great pain, and he asked Hephaestus to help. So, the god took an axe and clove Zeus' head, causing the daughter to spring from his head, fully armored. That daughter is who we know today as Athena, goddess of craft.

* * *

Of course, it's a myth, and Zeus is immortal so he could have withstanded Hephaestus's brutal blow.

The point is, Metis is technically the mother of Athena, which is why she was named that in Dual Destinies. Dion is a translation of Dionysus, the god of wine, and Selene is a translation of Semele, a mortal woman who bore Dionysus, sired by Zeus. There's your history lesson for the week, guys! Hope you enjoyed!

 **Brock's Geodude**

I will try my best to make this as fluffy and cute as possible! I feel SO bad for last chapter, as I said up at the beginning of this chapter. I reread it and I cringed . Hopefully you like this chapter more, it's my biggest yet and I think I did a good job teaching you about Greek mythology, no?

 **Sdarkynecro**

While I hate how I rushed the ending of last chapter, it was really fun to write that part. And I'm so sorry, I couldn't fit any Athena in this one – otherwise, it'd be too long. But you can start to understand where this is going, I hope. Have a great Sunday 3

 **JordanPhoenix**

Hey! The whole Yatagaratsu has reviewed my story! I'm so honored 3

Anyway, I'm really glad you like the way I describe things, because I put a lot of effort into making the story vivid and real. I only have to write about 995k more words and I'll have a million!

Thanks for your encouragement, I'm going to try to write longer chapters because a week between each is a bit much. As for the shout-out thing, I'm super new to this so it probably won't help considering everyone in the PW fanfiction knows you, but hey! Who knows, if someone's as new as I am, maybe it will help :3

(P.S. I've been a fanboy for 3 months xD)


	6. Khurairlines

I wrote this whole intro about how I would have so much time I would have to write over break, and how I would stock up on chapters and they wouldn't be rushed, but that had to be changed after I caught a completely massive fever. I have been recovering (it's only 102.1 degrees now) but I barely got out of bed. That's why this chapter is pretty short. It's just my writing of a few days edited a tad on Monday, which is why it's not uploaded on Sunday.

* * *

October 20th, 3:45 PM ~ Present Day

Khurairlines

Boarding Lounge

The steady beat of Apollo's suitcase running over the polished tiles of the crowded boarding lounge were drowned out by the murmuring of the people who sat in the lobby, stopping in their conversations every once in a while to acknowledge the Khura'inese legend's presence. His flight was at 4:00-and it he had 15 minutes to get there. He was late, of course – fans had kept him from getting to his flight, and really, Apollo was never one to deny an autograph.

Right now, though, no fan would get him to sign anything. He mentally kicked himself for getting distracted because he would like to get on the expensive return home, courtesy of the _terribly_ named 'Khurairlines'. Apollo's brisk steps told most of the fans he was in a hurry.

But sometimes, people just _can't take hints!_

"Are you… Apollo Justice?! _The_ Apollo Justice? The legend who ended Que-" breathed a teenager who had ran up to him.

"Yeah, that's me. Hi. I don't have time right now." Apollo began to walk away, but the teen apparently was deaf or just really was obsessed with him.

"No, wait! I, um, I'm Cody Hackins! Please, can I get a photo?!" yelled the photographer, a camera around his neck.

Apollo kept walking, mumbling a "No, sorry" through his breath. If this guy would leave him alone, maybe he could actually _catch his flight?!_

"Wait! I-... I'll give you my best Plumed Punisher card if you let me talk to you! It's an ultra rare XTreme!" The guy looked uneasy, as if he hoped Apollo would say no.

"Sorry, but no. I have a flight to catch." Apollo started to run instead of walk.

"No, wait, I won't let you!" Cody jumped in front of the lawyer, attempting to stop him. "I just want to-"

Apollo had dealt with kids and teens before. In fact, he was extremely good with them. He could deal with teenagers, and he could deal with fans. But when you mixed them together, it drove him crazy. Especially if you were trying to talk to him on the way to a plane.

" **MAN, I DON'T HAVE TIME!"** Apollo's chords of steel silenced the lobby, leaving a staggering Hackins and a Justice who sheepishly scratched his neck. The guy's mother shot a glare at the legend so menacing that if looks could kill, it would have been like an atomic bomb dropping on the airport.

"Bye," squeaked Apollo, before running with his suitcase faster than Usain Bolt, leaving a red blur behind him. On the ceiling, signs hanged which Apollo speedily followed to his airplane, before arriving at the ticket station and throwing it impatiently in the bored teenager who manned the station.

"Seat 1-B. Enjoy your- hey, wait a minute, are you…?"

But the object of fame had already scrambled into the plane, jumping into his seat, throwing his suitcase into the compartment above, and falling into his seat, eyes closed, breathing heavy. After a brief moment of relaxation, he felt his seat move a bit and figured the person sitting next to him had gotten in. Apollo hoped this person wasn't a fan-he was fed up. Opening his right eye a tad, he peeked at the person in the seat adjacent to his.

He was met with a familiar face, one that he did not expect to see, and one that he _really_ wished hadn't sat next to him!

"Yo, I know you!"

Wocky Kitaki looked straight into the Khura'inese hero's eyes, which held a tint of anger. He wore a white T-shirt which plainly said "G's don't have needs".

"You shoulda put me in jail! Hardcore G's need that stuff! Instead, you took away my Alita!" ranted Wocky. He was starting to draw some attention from seats around him – and Apollo did _not_ want to sign anything else.

"Wocky, Alita tried to frame you. And people do _not_ go to jail for training."

"Yo, it's cool! I got a new girl! She got long brown hair and her name is…" Wocky rambled on his 'girl' as Apollo leaned back in his seat and sighed. _This,_ he thought, _is going to be a long trip._

* * *

 _Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe – oh my god, how high are we?!_

Apollo's white knuckles gripped the seat's arms, his teeth clenched and his body stiff.

"Yo, what are you doing? Man, hardcore G's can handle plane rides!"

The red-clad lawyer turned his head to look at the gangster. "You forget, I'm not a _hardcore G!_ " he spat through tightened teeth. Apollo had been doing fine – but once he looked out the window and saw that the plane was above the clouds… well, I don't need to spell it out for you.

"Yo, this fear is seriously hurtin' your rep, you feel me?" Wocky looked around to see that other people on the plane were giggling and taking photos. "Look at 'em, man!"

Apollo didn't have time to respond, as the plane security came over to see the commotion, much to his dismay. One girl stood in front of him, clearly recognizing his fear.

"Sir, if you are struggling with the height of the plane, you should try to imagine yourself in a comfortable place with people you are comfortable with. It helps," suggested the woman, who had a knowing look on her face.

Now, Apollo normally wasn't one to rely on other people, but he was scared out of his wits, and he was willing to do anything for his fear to subside.

So Apollo took her advice and closed his eyes, making sure his breaths were steady and imagining himself watching Sherlock Holmes (after everyone overruled Phoenix's plead to watch Legally Blonde – Tumblr, anyone?) with the Agency, on movie night, sitting with a bowl of popcorn, yelling at everyone who took a piece…

…but maybe not. It'd been 5 years since Apollo had decided to stay in Khura'in, and the old memories, as faded as they were, were painful. Besides, he was sure that it was the same with Mr. Wright and Athena and especially _Trucy_ …

His thoughts distracted him from the height, but the pain and remorse that took its place just made it worse. _Why am I even going back?_ Apollo thought. The constant regret that filled his heart every second he was awake in Khura'in never subsided like he reassured himself it would. As much as it hurt to leave all his Khura'inese employees, legacy, and fame, it hurt much more to leave the U.S. behind, a fact he had not discovered until much later. Khura'in did need him after Ga'ran lost control of the country… so had he made the incorrect or the correct decision? Apollo stared blankly into the leather seat in front of him, pondering this.

A lawyer behind Apollo sat, an amused smirk on his face. He thought, _Even if it cost my life savings to go on this trip, it might have been worth it to figure out that my boss had acrophobia!_

* * *

Sorry for the short chapter again, guys. I also did upload this on Monday, yes, because I couldn't access the computer on Sunday – My fever grew pretty big. Fortunately, the fever should break in the next 24/48 hours, so I should be good to provide a chapter next week. I hope you can understand!

 **Brock's Geodude**

Thanks! Introducing OC's is always a hassle.

 **JordanPhoenix**

Lol, it has spread for sure, since basically everyone in the PW:AA fanfiction has seen your collaborations with Pudz and Yanmegaman, and damn! They're amazing!

Now, most people write fics where Apollo is gone for 2-12 months, and Pudz's collaboration has 2 years, but to me, it takes longer than that to rebuild a legal system. It'll add to the quality of the story, trust me.

Before I finish this response, I would like to say that I came up with the name Dion completely before I read your DDD fic. Otherwise I would have asked for permission, just in case you felt a bit ripped off whilst reading the chapter. Thanks for reviewing!

 **Sdarkynecro**

Exactly. While AA5 doesn't reveal much about Simon's hobbies (other than giving him the power to cut off Phoenix's hair with his _finger_ – and mind you, they're on other ends of the _courtroom_! Logically, Simon is a superhero), Wii Tennis seems like his kind of game, you know what I mean?

Quite hilariously, I'm looking forward to how I'll go with this too. I have a lot of ideas swirling around in my mind, but I haven't envisioned an ending yet. And I don't feel that pressured – I'm extremely new to this whole writing thing, and people really don't realize that writing stories isn't just having proper grammar and spelling. It's also about how you manage your plot and hold suspense, without making it too cheesy or too boring. I don't have much experience with that, but I'm earning it as I write!

Greek mythology is so… mysterious. I guess that's why I study it, even though I am Catholic. This review went a lot longer than I planned, so bye! Thanks for reviewing!


	7. Pallas And Her Chances

Trying to make more content per chapter. It's actually quite difficult to do once a week – especially when you have no time. It is my only fanfiction at the moment though, so I don't have any excuses. Hopefully you'll enjoy this story of which I'm starting at 3 AM!

* * *

October 21st, 11:13 AM

Wright Anything Agency

Living Room

 _It's so boring…_

28-year-old Athena Cykes lay flat on the couch, having no paperwork to sign, no cases to solve, and no bottle to flip. Athena couldn't leave her shift – if a client came in, she'd have to take them. She just prayed Trucy would come back before Mr. Wright forced her to clean the toilets.

Now, it can be assumed that Athena prayed correctly – the door opened a minute later to show Trucy and Maya's cousin looking cheerful as ever, with bags hanging on their wrists.

"Hey guys, where were you?" Athena got up from her horizontal state and walked over to the girls.

"At the mall," Trucy said, raising her wrists to show off the bags. "Pearl has never been to a mall before! She's never even bought any clothes other than her acolyte uniform!" The magician looked distressed, eyes wide and probably hoping to get a reaction similar to her own.

"Maybe the uniform is just comfortable, I don't know," Athena shrugged, not really wanting the conversation to be about Pearl's dressing habits. "Trucy, I need your help… I'm bored. Like… really bored."

Pearl looked like she had something to say, but was too polite to intervene in their conversation, so the spirit medium just nudged Trucy in hope that she would understand.

It seemed she did. "Oh, in a bit, we have to try on these new clothes! I'm sure Pearl is anxious to get into the newest trends! Or do you just want to impress Luke…?" Trucy said, turning her head toward Pearl on her last statement. A red stain crept up onto Pearl's cheeks. "O-Of course not! Come on, let's go!" The embarrassed medium walked toward Trucy's room. The remaining magician just shrugged to Athena, then followed suit.

Leaving Athena there, once again, _bored. Oh well,_ she thought, making the best of the situation, _I'll just text Juniper to see if she's open soon._

* * *

"Tablecloth…. Check!

"Fancy dinner plates…. Check!

"Candles…. Wait, candles? Do we really need candles?"

"Yes!"

"Okay then. Check!"

"iPod and some slow 80's music…. Check!"

"Food….wait….did we get any food?"

"I don't think we wanted food cans anyway. We'll just get some McDonalds nuggets or something for them."

"Mystic Maya is into McDonalds, but she finishes the 20 pack in 2 minutes…"

"We'll buy a big container. Don't worry, McDonalds doesn't really break the bank."

"Alright."

Inventory looked pretty good for the two girls, who hid endless amounts of stuff for romance-making in their bags. Of course, it took a lot of persuasion on Trucy's part – Pearl wasn't a dishonest girl, as everybody around her knew. But then again, this whole operation required quite a lot of dishonesty.

The magician dug intently through the bag. "Is that all there is?"

Pearl looked at her list. "Uhm… yep! Now we can start to set u-"

Trucy cut her off, wagging her finger. "Wait a minute, Pearl. You're not going to escape new clothes THAT easily…" she said knowingly. While most of Trucy's words had been deception, it was true that the spirit medium had confessed to never trying on any clothes other than the ones provided to her by Kurain Village – her acolyte uniform and her school uniform. No one else in her school used a uniform, but she couldn't wear her acolyte uniform to school, so that's why she needed one. "Besides, I'm sure Luke would love to see you in some skinny jeans!"

Pearl's face felt like it was burning. "T-Trucy!" she stammered, embarrassed beyond belief. Pearl never really discussed her relationship with other people – a fact Trucy knew from being best friends with the girl for a few months. No matter how hard she tried, Pearl just didn't give up the dirt. It was quite unsatisfying for the naughty magician.

She smiled, hand on her hat. "Look, Pearl. Admit it. You don't know the first thing about fashion… and you want to learn, don't you?"

Pearl chewed her thumb on habit. "I guess it's piquing my interest a bit…"

"Perfect! Let's get started!" The magician pulled out an array of clothes out of the bottom of the shopping bag. "By the time we're done, Luke will be drooling!"

* * *

Athena opened the door in a flash, creating a gust of wind that flew throughout the agency. Mr. Wright would be home soon, and Athena was not cleaning any toilets any time soon.

Juniper stood before the orange-haired adult, motioning toward her Jeep. "Thena, come on! Let's go!"

"Of course!" Athena chirped, and she closed the door as fast as she had opened it. She sprinted toward the brown and black Jeep parked in front of the Agency and got in, fumbling with the seat belt. Juniper soon opened the driver's side, getting in and putting the key in the ignition.

"What are we going to do?" she asked. Juniper had heard about Athena's plight via text, but she hadn't specified where they were going to go. Just that Juniper would have to get there right away.

Athena turned and looked at her friend. "I don't know. That adds to the mystery of it, though, right!?"

Juniper sighed. "Thena, you never could be patient… don't you still have work to do?" she inquired, wondering how the hell she got paid when she ran off in the middle of a shift.

"No! Well… yes. But Mr. Wright is fine with it!" she reassured.

The newbie judge rolled her eyes. "Alright," she resigned, getting a squeal of excitement from Athena. Juniper was still a shy person, which sometimes got in the way of her job, but when she was with Athena she felt better. They had been friends for years, after all. And ever since _he_ left, they had spent more time together.

Juniper was just about to put her foot on the gas when suddenly, Athena pointed her finger in front of her friend's face, pointing out the left side of the car. "Look, someone's pulling in!" she remarked.

This was not just some average joe, and anyone could tell by the car that looked like it cost more money to make than the Trump Tower.

It was a red muscle car, with indentations along the side. The car was sleek and was so low to the ground you would have expected there to be scrape marks behind it. The windshield was pointed at the ends and the car's hood was also rather pointed. The grill ran along the hood, and the headlights pointed slightly downwards, giving the car an angry look. Plus, it looked like someone polished it every day. It was, in other words, a _massive_ chick magnet.

Which was made even more so when it parked in front of the Agency and its driver got out. The door was not manually opened either. It didn't have hinges on the side like most cars. Instead, it was connected to the top of the car and it swung upwards, seemingly hanging in the air. Athena was thinking about how much this car must have cost – and Juniper was thinking about how angry this guy would be if the car got wrecked in an accident.

Athena didn't really have time to admire the beast of a car, however: in fact, she was already jumping out the door of Juniper's Jeep to greet the customer. For one thing, she was worried – why did a client have to come while she was away? But another side of Athena was so excited it could burst. She could make SO much money from this! Rich clients paid like no tomorrow! She could get her own house, she could get her driver's licence, she could-

But all her thoughts and movements stopped when she saw those trademark sticks of hair.

She heard Juniper gasp from behind her.

At first, she was confused. Why would someone have Apollo's hairstyle? _I knew he was famous, but not that famous…_ she worked out inwardly. But as her eyes scanned the rest of the "client" she realized this was no fan. The suit, the body… she remembered it all, even though she never wanted to.

It was, without a doubt, Apollo Justice. And he was currently walking toward the door of the Agency, completely unaware of the two women behind him.

All Athena could do was turn and look at Juniper, whose jaw was currently hitting the floor. "I-I-Is t-that…?" Juniper stammered, unable to believe her eyes.

Apollo reached for the door.

"Wait!" Athena yelled, coming out of her shock for a brief moment. "Apollo!"

The legend turned to see his former co-worker. His eyes widened, brown orbs the size of saucers.

"Athena!" he yelled, before sprinting over to her, who stood unmoving a few meters in front of the Jeep.

Athena seemed to still be shocked. Even though she wrapped her arms around Apollo when he hugged her, it all seemed like a dream to her…

… _this can't be happening. No way,_ she thought, eyes trained on nothing. _After 5 years… he came back…?_

Athena pulled away for a second. "Wait a minute. It's been 5 years, and you decided to come back _**now**_? We were waiting for you, and then we all just gave up after you didn't come back. And after all that heartbreak, you come back _**now**_?"

Apollo scratched his neck. "It wasn't possible for me to come back, Athena. I finally could, and I did. I know you and the rest of the Agency is hurt, but you need to give me one more chance."

Juniper still was standing a few meters away, wanting to get into the conversation. "Um… Athena?"

Both lawyers turned their heads. Apollo realized the judge's presence, and walked over to her. "Juniper! It's been a while! I heard you became a judge!"

"Oh! Um… y-yeah, I did," Juniper managed to say, more nervous than she'd ever been in her life.

"Juniper and I were going to go out to eat, Apollo. If you'd excuse us…?" Athena demanded, walking toward the Jeep, anger evident in her tone.

"Oh… well, I kind of wanted to go out to eat with the Agency now, but since you guys aren't all there, can I come too?" Apollo suggested, a bit of a smirk in his voice. Athena could hear it, and it made her anger worse – but she considered what Apollo had said before. Maybe he really never had a chance, but it really required an investigation of her own. She'd give him this one chance, but he wouldn't get another, that was for sure.

After taking a brief look at Juniper, Athena resigned. "Fine… but you're paying for yourself. Let's go, Juniper," spat Athena, gripping the judge's arm and pulling her into the Jeep.

Apollo looked on in silence. He had expected this… but he hadn't expected it to be this rough. However, he realized the chance he had, and he sat in his muscle car, door sliding down, head back against it's respective rest.

 _This,_ he thought, _will be a long drive._

* * *

There it is, chapter 7! Now that I'm done with that one, I have a bit of an announcement to make. I'm not going to be updating these weekly anymore. After looking at other successful authors and their schedules, I think I'm not getting enough content into each chapter. They should be 5000 words, max, so I'm going to start uploading them _**roughly**_ every other Sunday. They may be a day early or late, but they should be about 2 weeks apart, which I think will work well. Also, I may start another story soon. Once an idea hits me, I'll be writing. It'll probably be a one-shot, though.

 **Thanks for your continued support, guys!**


	8. Update!

Yooo, it's been a while, guys, I'm just going to type up this quick update as to why there was no chapter on Sunday plus some other stuff.

I have been OVERLOADED with work and I had a lead poisoning scare over the weekend (after loading about 100 lead pellets into a sniper rifle and then eating chicken wings directly after that without washing my hands) and it's been really stressful trying to work on the chapter and also another story I've been working on for a reviewer. I am hereby obliterating the update schedule, as I don't want them to be rushed and I want them to be good quality.

I really am not finding enough time to write, which is upsetting, but at least you guys know the deal. I'm not losing motivation or anything, don't worry.

Oh, oh! And I forgot one other thing. I am now editing KingOfBlacks' _Oath of Khurain_ , which is a story a few of you may have seen in the PW:AA fanfiction section. We made a deal, and I think it'll turn out good!

Once again, sorry for the lack of chapters. This one will be replaced by the next chapter, so you won't see this update after I post the next chapter. And remember, the update schedule is really not a good idea for any new writers like me. It's stressful, for sure. Writing is just a hobby when I have school and I'm studying/worrying about my grades. That's why I can't invest that much time into this.

Have a nice day, everyone!

~ScyllaX


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